NEWS LETTER 

Pudsey, May 30th.

 TECTONIC TAYLOR

 So now it has been blazoned in statistics of pure fire – Phil Taylor is better than ever.

          He came to Cardiff for the Premier Darts League finals night hot from winning the US Open. He took Adrian Lewis to the cleaners in the first semi with a 113 average and then showed clean heels to James Wade in the final with 108. His overall average since Glasgow four months ago is a record 103.5. It was fitting that top drama critic Michael Billington of The Guardian was at finals night to sample the working-class drama, more Queen Vic than Old Vic!

          Michael came into the commentary box and I did my best to enlighten him on the sport that has been my passion since 1972. I explained to him the massive depth of competition that is forcing the standards ever higher. The next eight months will be a darting delight for us all as a rejuvenated Colin Lloyd hits the big lads with his best, James Wade continues to show top form and the lively lissom Colon Osborne gains maturity.

          I can hardly wait to get to Bolton for the lip-smacking Blue Square UK Open starting on June 5th.

 WADDELL BOOK FACTORY

My son Dan and I won’t half be taking up some space in bookshops from Sheffield to San Francisco in the next few weeks.

          On 1st June TAAK OF THE TOON, my zany Geordie language guide comes out. It is published by Collins and has Newcastle United stripes on the front. It contains some daft cartoons of me prancing along the Quayside by Viz ace Alex Collier. He has me pegged as a ringer for Sid the Sexist’s daft dad, so check out the likeness.

          On June 10th THE BLOOD DETECTIVE, the first novel by Dan Waddell is published in America, followed by Australia in early July then in the shops here on August 7th. It is a fairly gory story of terrible crimes from the mid-19th century being repeated in West London now, and how an expert in genealogy helps track the perpetrator. Top established thriller writers Reginald Hill, Mark Billingham and Val McDermid say it is a cracker, and I agree. Not just a proud dad speaking, I assure you.

          And, how about this for synchronicity? Also on August 7th BELLIES AND BULLSEYES, my darts book will come out in paperback from Ebury. Look out for my nutty mug-shot waving a mic like a novice baton-twirler on the cover.

LEGENDS OF DARTS

I wish luck to Brissy, Big Cliff and El Lobo as their Legends of arrows tour starts at the Circus Tavern and goes on until the end of August.

          Darts is on a massive roll at the moment and I can see the clashes of the Titans of yesteryear adding nostalgia and the echoes of old rivalries to the heady mix. I shall be sitting watching in my flares, winkle-pickers and wavy mullet (wig).

          Howay the Old Lads! As we say up the Toon.